Hermitage retreat day 1-driving. 

I packed everything I need into my car and headed west on the 20. The 20 is not exactly the most well maintained road I’m finding, especially around major cities. But it’s simple. West on the 20. 

The way driving feels woth non dual perception is endlessly entertaining, it seems to encourage a 6th jhana like tone to perception. I “feel” the consciousness of the other drivers. I seem to have 360 degree moment by moment awareness of the totality of the field. 

I was surprised at the confidence and skill I have driving nowadays, before I remember getting very anxious on the highway with the imminent threat of death all around. But driving now there is no such fear. 

My body eventually got tired of sitting so I did jhana practice a lot yesterday, mostly experimenting with my own methods that will go in the book. But the ability to go into jhanic states and have the release of pain through various methods, and focusing on the utility aspects of it. 

I had a very fruitful day with lots of Nibanna basically the whole way. The road, despite not being the best, was flanked the entire way here with dense forest and it felt majestically mystical and the sky with the trees and it is beautiful. 

There was momentary cessation phe omena of all sorts, but two types of cessations were most common yesterday: open eyes driving, and like the power switch to the sky, the road, my mind, everything clicks off and back on. Very obvious and usually right after an epiphany moment. And there is a other type of fruition like thing that happens where there is a flash of a brilliant nimitta a split second before the cessation. Then there is a wave of bliss usually but lately the bliss wave from fruition is barely there, probably because I’m already quite content. 

I won’t lie I am afraid. I feel feel sensations and second-guessing and the likes but I was observing while driving that there really isn’t any moment in which my fate is totally decided or any decision is being made, and I can easily choose to simply turn around. So really I’m choosing and intending the path forward in every moment and my connection to the Divine and my gut urges me onward. I have also been praying and asking God for guidance, and God is leading me onward.  

My mother who is a Christian and was initially very suspicious of my meditation thing has now said she will definitely read the book and I told her basically that I was a dharma teacher and described what that is and I told her what the book is about and what it does. The book will teach God fearing people to love God. The book will teach intellectual materialists to pray and why and how to think about prayer in view of the Buddhist teachings. The book will teach the agnostic therevada yogi to use prayer and devotion to free themselves of self attachment. The book will teach the Christian and Buddhist alike the specific step by step instructions to develop inner joy tranquility, and specific skills to develop insight into the workings of Mind and God.